EDMUNDSTON, N.B. – A masterpiece game at the Jean-Daigle Centre on Saturday night when the Edmundston Blizzard took the measure of the Fredericton Red Wings, winning 5 to 4.
Austin Paul ended the suspense of a thrilling game by scoring the winning goal with 33 seconds left in the third period.
Power forward Alex Savoie shined with two goals for the first time in an MHL game. Former superstar of the Matadors de Mathieu-Martin de Dieppe, Savoie scored the 3rd and 4th goals for the Blizzard which each time allowed the Blizzard to tie the game in the fiercely contested confrontation in front of an excited crowd.
Tristan Fortin (21st) and Noah Matulu (3rd) gave the Blizzard a 2-1 lead after the first period. Eli Reimer (15th) scored for the Red Wings.
In the second, Fredericton took a 3-2 lead through Zach Alchorn (12th) and Gabriel Bernier (18th), but Savoie made it 3-3 with 56 seconds left in the period.
Alchorn scored his second of the night at 6:06 of the third period to give the visitors a 4-3 lead. Savoie, however, brought the two teams back to square one with his 6th goal of the season. While the level of nervousness was at its peak on both sides, Paul threw a shower of cold water on the Red Wings by scoring a spectacular goal at the end of the game.
Savoie (1st), Paul (2nd) and Alchorn (3rd) deserved the three stars of the bout.
The Red Wings outshot the Blizzard 33-31. Mathias Savoie was in net for Fredericton as Simon Couroux picked up a third victory in three outings for the Blizzard.
This win for the Blizzard (19-8-1-2 = 41pts) allowed them to edge out the Red Wings (19-8-2-0 = 40pts) for second place in the Eastlink North Division. Fredericton, however, has a game in hand.
Edmundston will face the Truro Bearcats on Tuesday, March 8 (7:30 p.m.) at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
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Photo
Alex Savoie (93) had one of his best games in the MHL. He scored two goals in the Blizzard’s 5-4 victory in extremis on Saturday night. Photo Eric Thibodeau
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone